You stressed for months over minor matters that ultimately turned out irrelevant. You did the deed, had them do it, and now you're hitched! You still have loose ends to tie up, so don't celebrate.
Take care of these details in the days or weeks following your wedding, and you'll be able to look back on that memorable day with fondness for years to come.
After the whirlwind of your dream wedding, it's only natural to kick back and unwind for a bit.
However, there are a few remaining tasks of paramount importance.
Just after the wedding is completed, the couple still needs to complete a number of activities, such as thanking their guests and vendors and thinking of unique ways to reuse the flowers and favours.
If you want to be sure that you haven't forgotten anything after the wedding, here is a complete checklist of what you should have accomplished.
This is the whole "what to do after the wedding" checklist.
Express Gratitude
Although no couple looks forward to penning a hundred handwritten letters, it's a necessary evil.
And do it quickly; the standard is to send out wedding present thank-you notes no later than two months after returning from the honeymoon.
For previously received presents, that time frame is two weeks after delivery.
That's good in concept, but you'll make everyone happier if you can get them all gone by your two-month wedding anniversary.
We suggest breaking the job into smaller, more manageable chunks to make it easier to handle.
You can probably knock them out at the rate of 5 each day and be finished in the allocated two months if you set aside fifteen minutes each day or on alternate days.
Pop open a glass of wine and get the whole family involved, and before long, you'll be utilising your new toys instead of writing about them.
You Might Provide Printed Photo Albums as Wedding Favours.
Despite living in the digital age, many people value having printed copies of their most treasured photographs.
Gift your in-laws, relatives, and bridesmaids with personalised photo albums featuring your wedding photos after you receive them from your wedding photographer.
These albums are not only beautiful to look at, but they also serve as wonderful keepsakes.
It will serve as a beautiful keepsake for them to recall the event.
The book for the bridesmaids can appear very different from the book for the in-laws.
It's important that you each get one, so don't forget! In the future, you and your husband will think about the souvenir fondly.
Make Sure You've Settled and Paid All Your Vendors
Verify that you have compensated and rewarded all of your reliable suppliers.
Ensure you haven't forgotten any contracting parties by reviewing the agreements and promptly paying any outstanding debts.
As for gratuities, that's entirely up to you.
There are basic etiquette guidelines, but the final decision on how much to tip vendors rests with you.
Share the good news if you had a positive experience with your suppliers. How can we do that most effectively?
Review the merchant in person or online and send your feedback.
Other couples will value your candid comments, and the vendors welcome the opportunity to expand their operations.
If you can get a recommendation from a happy couple, that will help.
When mentioning reliable service providers on social media, feel free to use #ThankYou.
They are smitten by it.
Additionally, it is suggested to send thank-you notes to suppliers who went above and beyond. The recognition is well-deserved.
Put the Wedding Cake in the Freezer
Don't let the last slice of wedding cake be the last of your delicious wedding cake memories.
After the night, have the catering workers remove the top tier and pack it in a box.
It would be best if you designated a "cake captain," a member of the family or a trusted acquaintance, to carry the cake home and store it properly.
Before wrapping the cake, place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour to firm the icing and prevent it from sticking to the plastic.
Instead of using aluminium foil, which could lead to freezer burn, wrap the naked cake in multiple layers of plastic.
Put the cakes inside an airtight bag, add a ribbon to make it apparent, and store it in the freezer.
Various cakes have different freezing times and qualities.
If you want your first-anniversary celebration to be memorable in more ways than one, consider ordering a new cake layer in the same flavour as your wedding cake.
Make a Photo Album
Post-wedding, you'll have to do the legwork of choosing which photographs you want and figuring out how you'd like to preserve them since most wedding photography bundles don't include prints or albums.
If you don't prioritise this task, two years will pass, and you won't have an album for it.
Don't expect this to be an easy effort; selecting photographs takes an average of six hours.
Still, it's worth it to pause and admire your amazing images after a successful trip planning endeavour.
The first step is to choose your top 10 to 20 favourites and eliminate the rest who are as unwanted as blinking houseguests.
Sort the remaining tasks into relevant groups, such as getting ready, the ceremony, the cocktail hour, etc.
Lay up the images and keep rearranging them until you achieve a clean yet vibrant flow that tells a tale of the day, after which you can decide on the type of album you want and the number of pages it will carry.
Get Your Wedding Gown Cleaned and Preserved
Your beautiful dress should be kept in a secure location. First things first have a professional cleaner that specialises in bridal gowns.
Please give it a thorough cleaning before you do anything else with it.
It's a good idea to get recommendations for a cleaner and a qualified preservationist from your tailor or the store you bought the garment from.
If you're going on your honeymoon right after the wedding, have your mum or maid of honour bring the dress inside and call out whatever stains to the cleaner; you can wait for up to six weeks after the wedding to have it preserved.
Keep it coiled or folded inside a crisp white sheet in a dry, dark place until then.
The cost of preserving your one-of-a-kind gown may vary depending on its beadwork, train length, and stain damage, so it's important to get an estimate before handing it over.
After the box has been preserved, it should be kept in the dark, dry, and cool location out of direct sunlight.
It's best to get your wedding clothes cleaned as quickly as possible, shortly after the ceremony, regardless of your clothing.
A friend or relative can help you by taking your wedding clothes to the cleaners before you jet off on your honeymoon.
A wedding dress makes the process somewhat more complicated. Before the big day, choose a cleaning business specialising in protecting wedding dresses and book their services.
It is important to start the process of cleaning and preserving a wedding dress as soon as possible, as this can take many weeks.
Purchase a Memory Box
To keep yourself occupied following your wedding, consider creating a special box to store memories, photos, and other mementoes from the big day.
Sharing it with the next generation will be a fantastic experience.
Repurpose That Bouquet
Please don't throw away your flowers; reuse them.
You can plan delivery service with your florist to drop off your lovely blossoms at nursing homes and hospitals or encourage the nearby guests to take them home with them.
After the wedding, you have a surplus of flowers.
Their presence in a hospital or nursing home would be greatly appreciated.
Two methods ensure that your blossoms last as long as possible. Select a few flowers, press them flat, and place them in a photo frame with your invitation or images.
Choose the tower or shadow box to have your bouquet vacuum-sealed in glass, maintaining its shape for years to come. If you want a flawless, expert finish, the best option is to employ a professional.
You can make a reservation with a national or local national preservation firm roughly a month in advance.
Follow the instructions on the back of the bouquet, drop it off or send it as soon as possible after the wedding (within a day or two is ideal), and they will arrange the flowers for you.
Be mindful of your bouquet at the reception if you want to keep it. Insist that the caterer put it in the fridge, or at least in a vase of water.
Don't Throw Away Those Wedding Favors!
If there are any leftover wedding favours, have your event planner pick them up so you can use them.
You might give them as presents. What, you need more coffee? Put them to use in the kitchen.
Towels with initials, please.
Put them to good use in the guest toilet.
The secret to being able to reuse wedding favours is not to include the date of the wedding in the first place.
Gift Your In-Laws and Parents with a Personalised Item
Gifts to in-laws and parents are significant if they play an essential role in the wedding's planning and execution, such as hosting the engagement dinner or contributing financially.
What is the best present you could ever give?
Cheese board with serving tray set made of wood, personalised with the wedding invitation.
It's a lovely, heartfelt gesture of appreciation for all those who helped you get where you are today.
Get Your Gift Registry Done
Remember to grab the remaining items from your wedding registry. Many stores will give sales on whatever is left in stock.
But don't hold off on this assignment.
You'll be surprised how quickly the first month after your wedding passes. Invest in more expensive goods and finish collecting them now.
Remember that you don't want only to have a salad plate, three meal plates, and one cup and saucer.
When you've completed shopping for your registry's items, delete them.
Stop attempting to talk yourself into thinking that two blenders might come in handy and return your unused goods from the wedding register within two months.
Stores may be more accommodating to registered couples, but return policies vary widely; engaged couples should find out which retailers will accept items and for how long.
Additionally, depending on the shop, you might receive discounts on any products you'd like to purchase that are still on your registry.
Check Your Social Media Accounts
You put in a lot of thought and effort to create that unforgettable wedding hashtag.
Putting it to good use is your next step.
The day after the wedding is the perfect opportunity to check the social media sites where the groom and bride may have used a creative, personalised hashtag.
With Instagram and Snapchat dominating the content landscape, the happy couple will ensure they watch all the hilarious wedding video clips made within 24 hours before they go forever.
Feel free to request that the visitor provide memorable moments for inclusion in your highlight reel.
You May Now Change Your Names
Changing your name across all your sites is likely the most tedious thing to do, but it's also crucial.
No rule says you have to alter your surnames to be together legally.
Even if only one of you decides to make the switch, you should treat it as a top priority if you want the effect to be felt everywhere.
Quickly finish this. Time passes, and you forget.
Although there is a lot to update, it is best to focus on the most crucial aspects, to begin with.
Your passport, driver's licence, bank accounts, credit cards, and social security card are among the essential documents you'll need.
Don't forget to notify HR of your name change so that they can make the necessary changes to your payroll and benefits.
Conclusion
Immediately following the nuptials, there are a handful of must-do items on the agenda. In the days and weeks following your wedding, attend to these details.
Thank-you cards for wedding gifts should be sent out as soon as possible after the happy couple returns from their honeymoon, but no later than two months afterwards.
We propose sectioning off the work into more manageable portions. Having hard copies of one's most cherished images is highly valued by many.
Personal photo albums are a thoughtful present for your future in-laws, other family members, and your bridesmaids.
Verify that you have paid and recognised all of your dependable vendors.
Although there are general recommendations, the amount of a tip you provide to merchants is ultimately up to you.
Have the top layer of your wedding cake cut off and stored in a box after the reception.
One suggestion for making your first anniversary party stand out is to get a fresh cake tier.
Choosing which photos to include in an album is a lot of effort that needs to be done after the wedding.
A wedding dress needs to be cleaned and preserved as soon as possible to ensure that it will be in good condition for the big day.
Six weeks after the wedding is the absolute latest you may have it preserved.
Think about making a keepsake box in which to place your favourite photos, cards, and other mementoes from the big day.
Avoiding the inclusion of the wedding date in the first place is the key to reusing wedding favours.
Content Summary
- Take care of these details in the days or weeks following your wedding, and you'll be able to look back on that memorable day with fondness for years to come.
- Just after the wedding is completed, the couple still needs to complete a number of activities, such as thanking their guests and vendors and thinking of unique ways to reuse the flowers and favours.
- If you want to be sure that you haven't forgotten anything after the wedding, here is a complete checklist of what you should have accomplished.
- This is the whole "what to do after the wedding" checklist.
- And do it quickly; the standard is to send out wedding present thank-you notes no later than two months after returning from the honeymoon.
- That's good in concept, but you'll make everyone happier if you can get them all gone by your two-month wedding anniversary.
- Gift your in-laws, relatives, and bridesmaids with personalised photo albums featuring your wedding photos after you receive them from your wedding photographer.
- The book for the bridesmaids can appear very different from the book for the in-laws.
- Share the good news if you had a positive experience with your suppliers.
- When mentioning reliable service providers on social media, feel free to use #ThankYou.
- Additionally, it is suggested to send thank-you notes to suppliers who went above and beyond.
- Don't let the last slice of wedding cake be the last of your delicious wedding cake memories.
- If you want your first-anniversary celebration to be memorable in more ways than one, consider ordering a new cake layer in the same flavour as your wedding cake.
- Post-wedding, you'll have to do the legwork of choosing which photographs you want and figuring out how you'd like to preserve them since most wedding photography bundles don't include prints or albums.
- Your beautiful dress should be kept in a secure location.
- If you're going on your honeymoon right after the wedding, have your mum or maid of honour bring the dress inside and call out whatever stains to the cleaner; you can wait for up to six weeks after the wedding to have it preserved.
- It's best to get your wedding clothes cleaned as quickly as possible, shortly after the ceremony, regardless of your clothing.
- Follow the instructions on the back of the bouquet, drop it off or send it as soon as possible after the wedding (within a day or two is ideal), and they will arrange the flowers for you.
- Be mindful of your bouquet at the reception if you want to keep it.
- Remember to grab the remaining items from your wedding registry.
- You'll be surprised how quickly the first month after your wedding passes.
- Stop attempting to talk yourself into thinking that two blenders might come in handy and return your unused goods from the wedding register within two months.
- The day after the wedding is the perfect opportunity to check the social media sites where the groom and bride may have used a creative, personalised hashtag.
- Changing your name across all your sites is likely the most tedious thing to do, but it's also crucial.
- No rule says you have to alter your surnames to be together legally.
- Don't forget to notify HR of your name change so that they can make the necessary changes to your payroll and benefits.
FAQS ABOUT WHAT TO DO AFTER THE WEDDING
What should you do right after your wedding?
- Take it easy as newlyweds. This is the most basic, but important.
- Get it on Instagram and Facebook!
- Rip open the gifts.
- Fix up the place where the party will be held.
- Get ready to leave on your Honeymoon.
- Just hang out with the people you care about.
- Throw a casual Sunday brunch.
- Go on a spa date with yourself.
What usually happens after a wedding?
A wedding reception is a party thrown for guests after the wedding ceremony has concluded. The reception's name comes from the fact that the newlyweds "receive" society for the first time as a married couple, in the form of their loved ones.
What is an after wedding party?
An after-party is a continuation of the festivities and a chance to let free following the wedding reception. It's not required that the happy couple have an after-party for their guests, but it really helps the mood.
What do you do after a morning wedding?
Afternoon possibilities for the newlyweds are truly limitless. Schedule spa treatments, rest in your honeymoon suite, or meet up with pals tonight. We think it's wonderful that you're considering having a small, celebratory meal for two or with your immediate family.
What is the day after the wedding called?
The final event of the wedding weekend is often a brunch held the morning following the ceremony. Your guests will congregate for the last time before departing. The newlyweds can enjoy more time with their guests and make lasting memories.